Veiled Ardor
by Alex Fisher
Summary: Everything turns into something its not suppose to be. What will happen? A oneshot for amber :


Veiled Ardor

Okay … this is a one shot for Amber and needless to say I am writing it a long one! YAY FOR ME!! IT TOOK me forever to come up with a story sequence for it and right now I am sort of shocked the way it came out. Just to let you readers all know I am combining the story lines of CRISIS CORE, DIERGE OF CERBERUS, FINAL FANTASY SEVEN, and, AND ADVENT CHILDREN. To create one hell of a story!

And even though this is completely pointless I am going to do a disclaimer… I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS OR NAMES EXCEPT FOR AMBER AND THE PLOT!! Please do not take….took a while to come up with!

Vincent stood in the back of the group. A sense of fear and longing presented itself upon his emotions and he couldn't shrug them off. They were a burning sensation in his heart that he would give up the world just to be fulfilled. The silent whispers beckoned him to stop his thoughts but to all their efforts they remained in vain. Loading his barrel he gave one last look in the direction of the person he had hoped to spend the rest of his life with. The only one he aspired to hold close to his embrace.

Nothing like this ever affected his mind. All his life was wrapped around his pride and honor to fight. To show what the world was in need of… a soldier. But he never expected to turn in the direction of an angelic face, one so pure and full of spontaneous energy that it was so rare to find. He had engraved her delicate composure in his mind replaying her grace and smile. The very attraction to his affection. There was no denying her beauty or her sensitivity. She had truly remained a mystery through his eyes and no matter how much he wanted to get to know her, he remained the lifeless monster in the nether.

Doubting himself and giving up the insecurity he believed he once had because monsters weren't suppose to have feelings. They were meant to feel nothing and harness no pain. It was like that for all the members of "Soldier." An elite group without the slightest idea of what life was truly about. Genetically made from specimens and fused with mako to be unstoppable was a criminality of their life. Living day by day with no desires or envisage. They all practically gave up on emotions due to the fact that they couldn't cry. Their heart never ached nor did they have ambiance for anything other than the passion to fight. The intense infatuation to hold something that could cause damage. It was the will of the members in the organization whether they wanted to be there or were forced… it was their imprisonment.

AmberAmberAmberAmberAmberAmberAmberAmberAmberAmberAmberAmberAmberAmberAmber

The simplest things always seemed to pass by Amber's mind. She had carelessly forgotten about the time schedule she had tried to maintain because her free-spirited nature wouldn't allow her to easily remember. She had been in the northern wing of the Sectors often in the section where the kids were so liberally making something of their hidden identity. All her spare time was devoted to the children of the slums who many people literally had been lackadaisical. So perceptive about a perfect world they 

tended to imbed in their skull they missed out on the children who were desperately looking for a role model.

To them she had been their guidance their only hope of seeing something good in the world. Something worth fighting for and not invoking the darkness to corrode their mind. She was basically an adoptive mother in their eyes. Smiling she watched a young girl absent mindedly dance to an unheard rhythm in her heart. So intent about the right footing she wasn't aware of the disguised stares that watched in awe. A true magnificent sight on Amber's part that she would have stopped time itself to question about what the world had grown to become. To be in a place where that girl was in her mind. Without the slightest hesitation or thought of danger.

Amber was the one so focused that she was blinded by the figure that walked up from behind her.

"Amber…this isn't a place for someone of your status to be. I don't mean to give you the grievance of hate towards me, I just want you to understand the tremendous cause of your actions if one was to find you here besides me" they had spoken in an almost whispered voice to soften the words that were not meant to be heard by others.

"Zack, do you really think that blinds me? It wouldn't affect me the way it would affect the adolescent people of our planet. How fear will simply win their hearts in place of what hope they once had. Zack you know what kind of inspiration these kids are looking for? They need someone like you. Someone with your characteristic who is not yet ready to give in… and not yet ready to lose faith" She got up from her place on the log and walked with Zack slipping past the laughing sounds to ease her mind of what burden she would leave them once they figured out they were gone.

"Amber you know those kids only look toward the light you have given them. They will not easily give in just as long as you don't easily doubt yourself. You may be part of "Soldier" but at least you have feelings, which is a myth for the rest of us. Something we don't feel. Your cause only means one thing… it means you are human. You were never created the way we were. The way Me, Vincent, Cloud, or Sepiroth were. Make something of their life just as you have to us." And with that Zack walked off back to the Shinra building. Leaving Amber with a smile of pure innocence plastered on her face.

She had always seemed to have forgotten about the impact she had left on the people she had met. Especially towards Zack. He still had an effect on her heart whether she believed it or not. Deep down she once loved him. She still did but her mind was tearing towards someone who she had been adamant about meeting. Though she wouldn't lie… Zack still would have been her first choice if he hadn't already found someone who completed him. Sighing she slowly turned towards the sky and longingly gazed at the stars. She missed their light when she lived in the slums with Aerith but most of all…she missed the moon at its fullest. At its attempt to comfort those in its encirclement.

"Listen up members of "Soldier!" We have an important assignment located on the outskirts of our edifice. We want you to eliminate any target that is moving regardless of human activity. All must be 

destroyed. And that is a direct order. If no questions are negotiated I suggest you get moving!" the director shouted eyeing Cloud for some apparent reason. He seemed to do that a lot when it came to Cloud's appearance in his office or if just in the same vicinity of each other.

"Cloud this may be your third mission as a 1st, I just wanted to tell you that if you needed help we have your back" Zack said a little too rushed. Almost as if he had ate nothing but sugar that afternoon.

"Relax Zack I am pretty sure Cloud can handle himself. It's not like he is going to screw up someone. He is smart for his blonde haired personality" Vincent laughed turning his gaze towards Zack who had busted out laughing at the blonde joke. Cloud on the other hand seemed pretty angered but didn't let it get the best of him. "Oh yeah and I suppose you guys could do better than me?" he spat crossing his arms to acknowledge that he was upset. "Actually…yes I believe we could now come on before we pick on you some more."

OutskirtsOutskirtsOutskirtsOutskirtsOutskirtsOutskirtsOutskirtsOutskirtsOutskirtsOutskirtsOutskirtsOuts

Since the outer boundaries weren't that far, it didn't take them long to get there. They had to complete this as stealthy as they could otherwise they failed the mission. And they weren't yet ready to admit their defeat. Firsts never failed, so what made this any differently. Scoping the scene they took out each target that was alive. A couple of infants were seen and it took them everything they could muster to not shoot them. They couldn't live with killing someone with a future left. If it hadn't been for them knowing those kids they would have shot.

Cloud on the other hand had been completing his duty until his peripheral view came across a boy no older than the age of eight. He seemed hurt and badly ill by the way he staggered to the left. Guilt beyond any poured across his soul. He realized his purpose that was intended on making a difference to someone. "Aerith" he whispered to himself. And without thinking he quickly jumped over the barrel of trash that was his bunker in front completely shocking Vincent and Zack. They would have remained there had it not been for the shots that rang out in all directions.

They both acted swiftly meaning to ask questions later as they followed Cloud protecting his sides even if he already cost them their mission. They respected him as a partner and whatever trouble he was in they were going to help. Vincent rang shots through his Cerberus instantly killing the few to his left as Zack used his Buster Blader to take out the meaningless troops to his right.

Cloud reached the area of the boy who had now been unconscious on the floor. "Hold on! I am here to help you. I am going to save you" Cloud explained feeling, for the first time, fear run through his veins. He had been careless to the others and it didn't do them any good to know that he was saving a civilian that they had been given strict orders to take out.

"Cloud what are you doing? Have you completely lost it? We are suppose to eliminate these targets not become their friends" Zack dramatically stated his breathing unsteady due to the run.

"Cloud do you have any idea what you have done? You may have blown our only chance of abolishing these mutational beings" Vincent said interrupting Zack and his important lecture.

"Guys just give me a minuet. He is hurt and he must be helped. Besides I have seen what you both did. You took out their mothers and fathers but didn't have it in you to relieve them of their suffering because the person you left behind was none other than their daughters and sons. I know what substantial emotion you have left. Just let me be the bearer of this one. He needs me and we need him. Something about him has given me a clue. It's obviously a sign that he is something we have been looking for" Cloud said hurrying away with the boy in his arms.

"He is going to be the death of us" Zack scolded hurrying off.

"Yes he is… he is" Vincent echoed lingering in the ash for a moment longer before following with out a real intention why. Maybe Cloud was different. If he could feel those emotions…maybe he was human after all.

This is where I am ending it. I am not really sure when the next update will be but it would be nice to tell me what you all thought!!


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